Morus australis Poir.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Mukuvisi Woodland

Photo: Bart Wursten
24, Athlone Avenue Greendale

Synonyms:	Morus alba L. Morus indica auctt. non L.
Common names:	Common mulberry (English)
Frequency:	Frequent escape in urban areas
Status:	Introduced
Description:	Small deciduous tree with a rounded crown and often drooping branches. Leaves light green, somewhat glossy with distinct venation; margin coarsely dentate, sometimes lobed. Flowers in small cylindical spikes. Fruit a cylindric cluster of small berry-like syncarps, from almost white to deep red, turning purple-black when ripe.
Notes:	Widely cultivated for its edible fruit. It is known as a common naturalised escape particularly around Harare. It is not an agressive invader (yet) but is a declared invader in South Africa.
Derivation of specific name:	alba: white
Habitat:	Waste land and riverine fringes
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:	Sep - Oct
Worldwide distribution:	Native of China, naturalised elsewhere
Zimbabwe distribution:	C
Growth form:	ST
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Sunday 2 April 2006
Literature:

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Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Morus australis page
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Morus australis
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Morus australis
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Morus australis
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Morus australis
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Morus australis
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Morus australis
JSTOR Plant Science: Morus australis
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Morus australis
Tropicos: Morus australis
West African Plants database: Morus australis